Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the ATP Rotterdam match.
The Dutchman has drawn the short straw, facing top seed Carlos Alcaraz in the opening round. Or perhaps it's the Spaniard who's unlucky? After all, he surely remembers his most shocking defeat last autumn to then-world No. 74.
Carlos Alcaraz
That upset came in the US Open second round, where Alcaraz had hoped to at least match his 2023 semi-final run. Instead, Botic van de Zandschulp stunned the world No. 3 in straight sets (6:1, 7:5, 6:4) in just 2 hours and 19 minutes. The Spaniard never saw it coming, especially after dominating their previous two encounters, where the Dutchman managed just 15 games across five sets.
Botic van de Zandschulp
Since that win, things have only gone downhill for Botic van de Zandschulp, who has now dropped to world No. 84. That US Open victory proved to be a one-off, as he was eliminated in the very next round in straight sets by 25th seed Jack Draper (3:6, 4:6, 2:6). The rest of his autumn was equally disappointing, never progressing beyond the round of 32 in any tournament. His struggles have continued into 2025, losing all three matches he's played so far this year.
Carlos Alcaraz vs Botic van de Zandschulp Prediction
That US Open upset was highly unusual. This time, the recent Australian Open quarter-finalist, who only lost to Novak Djokovic in Melbourne, should have no real trouble dispatching Botic van de Zandschulp.
